MASONTOWN (KDKA) — It certainly caused a scare for people living at Fort Mason Village in Masontown, Fayette County.

What appeared to be some type of bomb turned out to be kids playing arms.

It’s not every day that you find what looks to be a homemade bomb on your doorstep. But Mary Strube, also known as “Bubba”,” can tell you all about it. It started with a middle-of-the-night phone call from a neighbor.

Strube, who’s lived at Fort Mason Village since 1982, called police, who showed up and told everybody near the device to get out.

“It was awful,” she said. “We ended up going to my mother’s. I didn’t wanna sit in a fire department.”

The Allegheny County Bomb Squad rolled in and discovered the improvised explosive device was a fake.

“Eventually you found out it was a toy,” Strube said. “It was a toy, bunch of kids playing with a toy out back and left it there.”

Some local kids playing “Call of Duty,” pretending to be in combat, forgot to pick up on of the props. Shannon More also says the response was painful, but necessary.
“I guess it’s better safe than sorry,” she said.

As for the Allegheny County Bomb Squad, they say they are certainly happy they made the trip – the device looked legitimate. So far, no word on charges – the investigation into what happened continues.